The weather-proofing of water systems to prevent freeze-up and associated damage has been the focus of many patents. However the search for reliable, low-cost systems still proceeds in view of the defects, drawbacks and high installed and operating costs of the systems presently available
The present invention is closely associated with the invention previously disclosed in pending U.S. application, Ser. No. 08/209,981 filed Mar. 11, 1994, of which I am a co-inventor. That prior invention is closely associated with the subject matter found in Canadian Patent No. 1,122,877 Gauthier, May 1971.
One of the drawbacks of the earlier Gauthier and other prior systems has been the absence of a reliable, low cost weather-proof (ie. freeze-insensitive or "frost-free") control system.
Most free-standing water systems are depemdent upon the system water pressure to actuate a pressure-sensitive switch, in order to control the on-off actuation of the pump.
In the operation of the frost-free systems disclosed in the above referred to pending application, where the control of the system is located within the protected environment of the system pump, external freezing conditions do not influence the control function.
In situations where a remote location is served by an exposed pipeline that is subject to freezing the water transmitting portion of the pipeline cannot be utilized to serve as a pressure transmitter or as a signal transmitting agent as the occurrence of line freezing disables the line in both those required functions, and in a de-watered condition the line is incapable of transferring pressure signals.